Bush Names Three to FCC

Once confirmed by the Senate, the two new Republican commissions should allow Powell to take action on pending issues—including structural reform of U.S. telecommunications policy.

by ISP-Planet Staff [April 9, 2001]

President George W. Bush late last week nominated two Republicans and one Democrat to serve as commissioners on the Federal Communications Commission.

And the nominees are ...
The Republican nominees include Bush aide Kevin J. Martin, who also served as former aide to outgoing GOP Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth. As a result, Martin authored many of Furchtgott-Roth's dissenting opinions, speeches and statements for Congressional committees on common carrier matters. These typically advocated free market approaches, and adherence to Congressional statutes, even though Martin's name never appears on these documents.

Previously, Martin worked at Wiley Rein & Fielding, a Washington DC-based law firm with Republican ties that specializes in communications law. Last year Martin was Deputy General Counsel for Bush for President—he is currently Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. He will be nominated for a five-year term, which expires at the end of June 2006.

Kathleen Q. Abernathy, the second GOP nominee, is currently vice president of public policy for Broadband Office Communications, a telecom firm in Virginia and was formerly the Vice President of Air Touch Communications from 1993 to 1998. She served at the FCC from 1992 to 1993 as legal advisor to Commissioner Sherry Marshall and as legal advisor to Chairman James Quello. Both Martin and Abernathy will be nominated for five-year terms, which expire at the end of June 2006.

Former Commerce Department official Michael Copps was nominated to replace Democrat Susan Ness. Copps, a former aide to Senate Commerce Committee ranking Democrat Ernest Hollings, (D-SC) also reportedly has the support of the committee's Chairman John McCain (R-AZ). If the appointment is approved by the Senate, Copps would serve out the remainder of Ness' term, which expires on June 30, 2004.

Powell's policy plan
Republican FCC Chairman Michael Powell has so far been unable to advance his deregulatory agenda as the five-member agency has been minus a commissioner, leaving an even 2-2 split between Democrat and Republican members.

However, once confirmed by the Senate, the trio of Republican commissions should allow Powell to take concerted action on a number of issues pending the commission, including structural reform of the telecom policy.

When all is said and done, the Bush Administration will have even more control over the direction of the FCC in nominating a candidate to replace sitting Democrat Gloria Tristani, expected to step down sometime later this year.

In a statement, Powell said he was pleased that the President moved forward to announce his new FCC Commissioner appointments.

"Each of the three nominees—Kathleen Abernathy, Michael Copps and Kevin Martin—if confirmed by the Senate, will bring important experience and expertise to the Commission and I welcome the opportunity to carry out the responsibilities of the FCC with them," Powell said.

—End